Fukuoka Cultural Heritage: Kasuri Weaving Workshop & Yanagawa River Cruise (Optional Dazaifu)
[Extend your journey with my tours and enjoy multi-day discounts. Please send me a message before you complete tour booking.]
Visit a historic Kasuri weaving workshop to learn about indigo-dyed, handwoven textiles, then enjoy a peaceful river cruise through Yanagawa’s canals. Depending on your interests and timing, you may choose either a traditional sake brewery tasting or a visit to Dazaifu, allowing the day to be tailored to your preferences.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
Your Hotel in Fukuoka City
- I am located within a 20-minute drive from Fukuoka Airport, Hakata Station, and Hakata Port, so if you book a hotel near these facilities we can ensure a smooth meeting. Let's enjoy the tour together:)
Estimated travel time to next location: 1.5 hour
Yanagawa River Cruising
Highlights: The Yanagawa river cruise in mid-November beautifully harmonizes the tranquil waterways and autumn leaves, allowing you to enjoy the riverside scenery in a peaceful atmosphere. Wheelchair-accessible boats are available for reservation, ensuring a comfortable experience.
Admission:
Private boat (per group): 18,000 yen
Lunch: "Mamiru" or others
A cozy café-restaurant where you can enjoy dishes made with local, seasonal ingredients. In addition to eel and seafood, they also serve dishes like Wagyu steak set meals. Homemade sweets and light meals are also popular.
Lunch sets: Approximately 2,200 yen to 3,300 yen (including options like Wagyu steak meals , eel dishes and others)
Kurume Kasuri Tour and Experience: Ikeda Kasuri Workshop
Kurume Kasuri is one of Japan’s officially designated Traditional Craft Products, recognized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Ikeda Kasuri Workshop, founded in 1919, is a long-established workshop in Chikugo City, Fukuoka Prefecture, known for its indigo dyeing and hand-weaving techniques. Preserving tradition, each piece is carefully handwoven, and the workshop’s craftsmanship has been recognized through exhibitions at the The National Art Center, Tokyo.
Estimated Duration: 1 hour (workshop tour and shop visit)
Admission Fee: 2,200 JPY per adult (30-minute guided workshop tour)
Estimated travel time to next location: 1 hour
Optional 1: Sake tasting experience at Wakatakeya Sake Brewery
Founded in 1699 in Tanushimaru, Fukuoka, Wakatakeya Sake Brewery has been brewing sake for over 320 years. Unlike many breweries of its time, it was established by a merchant driven purely by passion. Guided by a family philosophy that values nature as something borrowed from future generations and tradition as continual innovation, the brewery has survived major historical changes while crafting sake that reflects both heritage and evolution.
Admission:
Adults (high school age and above): 460 yen
Children (middle school age and younger): Free
Optional 2: Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine
Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine is one of Japan’s most important Shinto shrines, dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deity of learning. Set among centuries-old camphor trees, it is especially popular with students praying for academic success. The approach is lined with traditional sweets shops, and the shrine is famous for its beautiful seasonal scenery, particularly plum blossoms in early spring.
Estimated travel time to next location: 1.5 hour
Farewell time: Your Accommodation in Fukuoka city
Please note that arrival time may be delayed due to evening traffic around Fukuoka. Thank you for your understanding,
Please share your memories of this tour.
Ending Point
Your Accommodation in Fukuoka city
Want to personalize this tour?
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This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
-I will be both the guide and the driver.
-Free mobile Wi-Fi
-My own private car (8-seater van “Nissan Serena”)
Non-smoking vehicle
Dual-zone automatic air-conditioning
Front passenger seat with a sliding function for wheelchair users
-Gasoline fee
-Parking fee
-Expressway tolls (Fukuoka Urban Expressway and Kyushu Expressway)
-Free Apple Music and Netflix
-Guide gratuity
-Cost of meals (guide and customers)
-Facility Admission fees (guide and customers)
**Yanagawa River Cruising**
Admission Fee:
Private Standard boat (Per Group, 1-8 people): 18,000 JPY
Private Cushioned boat (Per Group,1-8 people): 23,000 JPY
Shared Standard boat (Per Adult): 2,000 JPY
**Kurume Kasuri Tour**
Admission Fee: 2,200 JPY (Per Adult, 30-minute guided workshop tour)
### **Lunch at "Mamiru"**:
- Lunch sets: Approximately 1,500 yen to 3,000 yen (including options like Wagyu steak meals and eel dishes)
Tour Important Information
1.If you want to do cashless payments on your entire itinerary, please let me know in advance. I will need to have a payment machine ready.
2. Please let me know in advance if you have any food allergies or other dietary restrictions.
3. Extra time is assumed, but it is an itinerary that will be difficult to proceed if the meeting time is delayed. I hope we can meet on time:)
4. My car can accommodate up to 7 guests comfortably.
If your group has 8 or 9 guests, please contact me in advance — I can arrange a rental van (Toyota Hiace Grand Cabin) upon request and provide a customized quote.
Unfortunately, I’m not licensed to operate tours for 10 guests or more, so larger groups cannot be accommodated.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
About Tour Guide Katsu N.
Hi, I’m glad you found my page!
I’m a local guide based in Kyushu who loves sharing the region’s history, food, and landscapes in a relaxed and friendly way. Think of me as someone who can make your trip comfortable and memorable, while keeping things easygoing and fun.
I began guiding to share the history, scenery, and food of my home with visitors from around the world. Before this, I worked in luxury retail, where I learned how important details and genuine hospitality are. Now I bring that same spirit to my tours, making sure every guest feels comfortable, cared for, and free to enjoy their journey.
I specialize in private car tours around Kyushu, so you don’t have to worry about train schedules or carrying luggage. We can stop where you like, take things at your own pace, and enjoy the scenery along the way. Onboard you’ll have free Wi-Fi, music, and a comfortable ride—perfect for families, couples, or friends who want both convenience and a touch of luxury.
Some of my favorite places to share are:
Nagasaki: Peace Park, Atomic Bomb Museum, and the city’s cultural blend
Fukuoka: Dazaifu Shrine, city highlights, and Yanagawa’s river cruise with eel dishes
Kumamoto: Mt. Aso’s volcanic views, Kumamoto Castle, and Kurokawa Onsen
Oita: Hita’s riverside town, plus Beppu and Yufuin hot springs
Saga: Arita’s ceramics and the Yoshinogari ancient site
Takachiho Gorge: A mystical canyon tied to Japanese legends
What I enjoy most is helping guests discover both famous sights and hidden corners of Kyushu, while keeping the experience comfortable and stress-free. Whether you’re drawn to culture, food, history, or beautiful scenery, I can adjust the plan to match your style.
I’d love to share my part of Japan with you and create memories that last long after your trip. If you have any questions or requests, please feel free to send me a message. I look forward to welcoming you to Kyushu and showing you what makes this region so special!
Reviews
Scott L.
“Extremely Friendly and Thoughtful”
Katsuhisa kept in regular contact with us leading up to the tour and allowed us to customize the tour to include the Miyajidake Shrine. When the forecast called for rain in the morning, Katsu rearranged the order of the tour so that we weren't too affected, and we even made it back to catch the sunset on the Path of Light. Beppu was very interesting and we enjoyed our lunch cooked by the onsen stream. His car is new and comfortable. We would highly recommend Katsu as your tour guide.
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Katsu N.
Dear Scott and Fanta, /// Thank you very much for joining the tour and for your kind review. /// I was very happy that we were able to adjust the itinerary together in advance and include Miyajidake Shrine in your visit. I’m also glad that you were able to see the sunset on the “Path of Light.” By rearranging the order of the tour based on the weather forecast, we were fortunate to visit at a good time. /// I’m pleased to hear that you enjoyed Beppu’s Jigoku hot springs and the lunch cooked with the natural onsen steam. /// If you visit Japan again, I would be delighted to guide you to other parts of Kyushu as well. I hope to see you again in the future. /// Thank you again for traveling with me. /// Katsuhisa
Lim Z.
“7-Day tour from kyoto to fukuoka”
To keep it short and simple, it was an amazing journey with Katsu, he was able to accommodate and tried his best to adjust to our family's complicated plannings. 4 members and some days 2 additional joined in to meet up at a certain location. Not an easy task in my opinion. It started 2months before the tour, we have been discussing on the itinery, letting him know the places we would like to visit. As we plan, afew sites are closed, where he personally went down to check on alternatives recommendations (sagano train ride replace with takachiho train ride, accommodate our last minute shoppings locations during the tour to try let us get what each individual wanted, there are many small details to be written) afterall, we sense his fatigue due to long hours and his constant follow ups with alternatives choices for lunch/dinner. For me, i dont mind about what other reviews about katsu's difficulties in english barrier, it was ok for me, we all have our personal setbacks where nobody is perfect, i use google translate at times if he couldnt answer our questions. Rest assured he will try his best to answer you and to give you a great experience for your stay in japan. It was really heart-warming to have him with us for our family's reunion dinner at a crab restaurant, we treated him like our family, as he did to us during this journey. Thank you readers for your time, and thank you mr katsu for your efforts! We had a great experience and will be planning another trip over again :)
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Katsu N.
Thank you very much for taking the time to write such a wonderful review. /// I am truly happy to hear that you were satisfied with the tour. From our communication during the planning stage to the experience during the tour itself, I always strive to provide top-class Japanese hospitality -- a service style I cultivated in my previous career. /// Regarding English communication, I have the opportunity to guide guests from all over the world, each with different accents. While there may occasionally be small differences in communication styles, I hope you were able to fully experience the spirit of Japanese hospitality that I value most. /// I truly appreciated the time we spent together, especially the reunion dinner. /// Thank you again, readers, for your time. And to your family -- I will do my very best to provide an even more satisfying experience when we meet again. /// Warm regards, /// Katsuhisa
Catherine W.
“Professional and Caring ”
Katsuhisa was extremely professional and communicative throughout our trip. He kept us updated on weather conditions and checked in about preferences before our journey began. Despite our very ambitious itinerary - which includes about 6 hours of driving in a single day - Katsuhisa fulfilled all of our requests with a positive attitude and no complaints. We were also traveling with our 2-year-old, and Katsuhisa took extra care to ensure our little one was comfortable and happy. At the end of our trip, Katsuhisa even surprised us by buying a thoughtful adorable gift for our child. We truly appreciate how Katsuhisa made our trip extra special. Joining his tour was definitely the highlight of our time in Japan.
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Katsu N.
Thank you very much for your warm and kind review. I am truly grateful for your thoughtful words, and I am delighted to hear that you were satisfied with the tour.///Under Japanese road traffic regulations, child seats are required in private vehicles and rental cars, so I am glad that having one prepared was helpful during your trip.///I was also pleased to hear that your child was able to enjoy the tour comfortably. Traveling with a young child can involve many considerations, but I am happy that your family was able to enjoy the journey together in a relaxed and pleasant manner. I also have a family member who works as a childcare professional, and I benefit greatly from their advice in situations like these.///Kyushu Island still has many wonderful places to explore, and I would be very happy to welcome you again in the future.///Warm regards,///Katsuhisa
$664/ per group
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